As has been well documented, the Thunder bounces back well. Here’s another opportunity, although this isn’t an easy shot at it. Most teams struggle with the trip from L.A. to Denver, though at least the Thunder has the luxury of this not being a back-to-back. Still, the Nuggets are excellent at home and the Thunder’s never played well in the Pepsi Center. Keep Reading…

We’re half way through this season. Seems like it was September just a few months ago, doesn’t it? Well, I guess that’s true. But you get the point.

And you know what halfway through means. It means the Thunder’s played 41 games. It also means it’s time to do one of those cliche review the season posts.

But after 41, I think we’d all agree that we’re happy with the Thunder’s 27-14 record. Right now it has OKC sitting third in the West, meaning the Thunder would have home court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. In fact, it would mean if the Thunder advanced, it’s possible they’d have home court in the SECOND round too.

If the season ended right this second, OKC would be taking on the Hornets in the opening round of the playoffs. That’d be fun, right? I think our dislike for Chris Paul might reach atmospheric heights if the Thunder played the Hornets in a seven-game series. I might have to go to counseling.

FIRST HALF MVP

I maintain that Kevin Durant still is the MVP of this team. He’s the leader. He’s The Man. But I think it’s also clear that the Thunder wouldn’t be 27-14 without the outstanding play of Russell Westbrook. Not to say KD has been bad or even not excellent, but Westbrook has played big in so many big ways.

Durant is still the team’s best player and I think when the season comes to a close he’ll be in the top three in the MVP voting, but to this point, Westbrook has been the Thunder’s MVP. Over the past months, it’s been Durant. But Westbrook is what got OKC through November and some of December with its head above water. Keep Reading…

Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post: “As soon as the Nuggets trade Carmelo Anthony, they will start down the road of rebuilding. It can be a long, arduous process that tests the patience of fans and the nerves of front-office executives. The Nuggets could do worse than look at Oklahoma City, which comes into tonight’s game at Denver tied with Utah atop the Northwest Division. The Thunder (27-14) built from the bottom up and is on everyone’s shortlist of teams with a bright future.” Keep Reading…

Charles Barkley was called out by Ernie Johnson last night about Jenni Carlson’s column. Barkley didn’t really say that he’d come to Oklahoma, only saying, “Yeah, I need to go there.” He also claimed he never called Oklahoma a “wasteland.”

Kurt Helin of PBT: “Meet the new Thunder, same as the old Thunder. Which is a pretty good thing, those old Thunder captured the imagination of the NBA fans nationwide last season. They were athletic, they got and ran, they were just fresh and fun. Thunder players talk openly of wanting to get rings with this group, there is a real chemistry there. That’s one reason before the season started a lot of people thought the Oklahoma City would take another step forward and could be the one team that would take a ring off the fingers of the Lakers out West. There was patience in the front office — Oklahoma City stuck with the players they had rather than trying to make a big splash in free agency. They were going to grow. When they finally got a chance to match up on the Lakers again Monday night and measure themselves… It looked almost exactly like the NBA playoffs last season. Right down to the Lakers winning, 101-94.” Keep Reading…

Only against a select few teams can you feel good about playing a solid game and losing. One of those teams is definitely the Lakers, especially with the game in Los Angeles.

The Thunder were in a tough spot tonight. The Lakers had just dropped a bad one against the Clippers and were in the market for redemption. The game was of course in Staples, where things tend to lean the yellow way. And for the most part, especially in the half court, the Lakers present a pretty tough matchup for Oklahoma City.

Still though, it feels like one slipped through the cracks here. It feels like an opportunity to beat the Lakers in Los Angeles just barely squeezed through the Thunder’s fingers. Statistically, across the board, the Thunder really were right there. Field goal percentage wasn’t a big gap. The Lakers only outrebounded OKC by one. Only nine turnovers for OKC compared to LA’s 15. Both teams made 18 free throws. Everything was pretty much even, sans one category. Three-point shooting. Keep Reading…

The last time we saw the Lakers, Pau Gasol was breaking our hearts with a last second tip-in. Remember that? I’m sure you do. In fact, here’s a reminder in video form, just to bring up bad memories and re-open those wounds. Keep Reading…

Darnell Mayberry tries to solve the defensive mystery: “Several players admit that Adams’ departure has been a significant factor. ‘Ron Adams was a big part of our defense,’ said Thunder center Nenad Krstic. ‘He was always talking about that. He was always getting on some guys if they don’t play good defense. We really miss him.’ Practice sessions are said to be the same this season as last year’s. And from a scheme standpoint, the Thunder hasn’t changed anything. But having Adams harp on all the finer points made a major difference, players say.”

Another pretty excellent example of how awesome KD is: “I met Kevin Durant during his junior year at Oak Hill and began working him out that spring. He then transferred to Montrose Christian for his senior year (I was the team’s strength & conditioning coach). Fast forward to today. KD is an All-Star and one of the NBA’s most potent scorers. Even though I no longer work him out, we have kept in touch after all these years. This past weekend, Blair and I flew to Oklahoma City to see the Warriors play the Thunder. It was a whirlwind trip – in and out in less than 24 hours. But it was one I will never forget. KD rolled out the red carpet for us. He had us picked up from the airport, let us stay at his house, autographed some stuff for our friends and family, and gave us an inside look at what NBA players do on game day (not to mention gave us courtside seats for the game).” Keep Reading…

After winning a huge game on TNT against one of the best in the East, leading the Northwest Division and on pace to beat last year’s record, are we fans giving the Thunder enough credit? Maybe all the talk about the Jeff Green issues, our lack of defense, and the big gaping whole in the middle is taking away from enjoying a great season as a Thunder fan.

On this week’s episode we talk to Audley and Dave from The Breakdown who attempt to set us straight. Our first foursome on the podcast should get some laughs.

We also get some insight from Darnell Mayberry regarding Jeff Green and his possible future with the team, among many other Thunder related topics.

Finally, be sure to catch the last interview of the episode. Its only 3 minutes long but includes the world’s most knowledgeable 2 1/2 year old NBA fan.